Reality Has No Place
by lukedanesloverr
Summary: JJ. Luke reveals his dream to Lorelai. This story takes place in season three.
1. You Were Shoveling Snow

Title: Reality Has No Place 

Chapter 1: You Were Shoveling Snow

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or the characters or _anything_.

Author's Note: Okay - This is based on the dream that Ben reveals to Meredith in, _The Family Stone_. I immediately thought about Lorelai when he was explaining the dream, and, well, Luke and Lorelai make a much nicer couple than Ben and Meredith, so that's were this story is headed.

* * *

No more than an hour ago, Lorelai was aimlessly wandering the streets of Star's Hollow, clutching to her pillow tightly.

But she is safe now, thanks to the always dependable Luke Danes.

I should by him a suit of armor, she thinks, or a really big sword - something to go with his savior-like image.

Lorelai walks out of the bathroom and meets Luke in his kitchen, where he hands her a glass of water, "Thanks". The two of them exchange awkward glances when their hands accidently touch, the strange tension had been in the air for a while, now. She pretends to be in oblivion, much like she always does, leaving Luke to feel foolish and alone in the embarrassment.

She turns around and takes a seat on his couch, curling her legs beneath her. He joins her moments later, letting out a deep sigh as he sits, and making sure to leave a good amount of space between them.

She looks at him immediately afterwards, knowing he must be annoyed with her staying here. She hopes that a thousandth 'thank you' won't be overdoing it, "Thanks Luke, again. You know, for taking me in as a refugee."

"Yeah, it's no problem." he glances around the room for a minute and then looks back up at her, "You must be exhausted."

"You know, I'm really not. I'm... strangely exhilarated right now. I mean, even after all the craziness at the inn... and the fire..."

"And the stupid Hatlestads", he points out.

She smiles, "Right, them too..." she lets out a deep breath, "I don't know, I'm happy with the way I handled things. I feel good."

"You did good."

She smiles proudly, "I think so too." she adverts her gaze, and her smile grows wider as she notices something on his right bicep. She leans in a bit closer, and she stares in complete awe, "Oh, my God..."

"What?"

"Butch Danes, you've been keeping secrets."

He narrows his eyes, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"_You_ have a _tattoo_?"

He looks down, discovering that his short sleeve is revealing the small drawing. His face reddens a bit as he replies shyly, "Oh... yeah."

"What is it?" she lifts the sleeve up higher, lightly grazing her fingers against his skin. Luke can feel his stomach doing somersaults at the feel of her light touch. Lorelai notices his change in expression, and can't help but smirk at his uncomfortable squirm.

"It's stupid. My dad had the same thing... sort of a family tradition, I guess."

"When did you get it?"

"I don't know... when I was seventeen..."

She nods and takes her fingers away, "I always wanted a tattoo. I never got the chance, though."

"Why don't you get one now?"

"I'm thirty-five. You don't get a tattoo when you're thirty-five."

"Why not?"

"Because... a tattoo is something you get when you're a teenager, and then you spend the rest of your life regretting it."

"Where is that written?"

She waves her hand, "Oh, in that book."

"What book?"

"You know... that book... about tattoos..."

He rolls his eyes, "I say you get one... you know, if you really want one."

"Maybe I will... does it hurt? I mean, I know it hurts but does it _really _hurt? I don't have a very high tolerance for pain."

He shrugs his shoulders, "It's not unbearable."

She playfully shoots him a seductive glance, "Do you have any others?"

"Not for your eyes."

Her mouth drops open.

"I'm _kidding_. I did come pretty close to getting the Tasmanian Devil breaking a baseball bat, though."

She doubles over in laughter, leaning her head into his shoulder, "Seriously?"

"Yup." he chuckles.

She sits back up, "Now, _that_, would have been a tattoo worth regretting."

"Yeah, I can name a few people who would mock me endlessly."

"Well, not me of course..." she sighs and leans back on the couch, "Man, I really want one."

He starts laughing, "Then get one!"

"I know, I should."

"That's it. I'm taking you. Clear you're schedule."

"Look at you... Mr. My-Body-Is-A-Shrine-Get-That-Burger-Away-From-Me."

"Well, tattoos are the one thing that I don't look down upon. I mean... depending on where they are and... what they are..."

"That's too funny."

"What is?"

"_You - _having a tattoo! It's just funny... It's not something I'd expect."

He speaks in his gruff tone, "Well, I'm a man of mystery."

She tries to get over how sexy that sounded.

She looks up and smiles at him, catching his gaze. They remain this way for a few moments, until they both become aware of what they're doing. Lorelai is the first to look away, as she puts a strand of hair behind her ear and switches positions on the couch, bringing her knees up to her chest.

The subtle feeling of wanting to be close to Luke was making her uneasy. She'd had the feeling all night, as soon as Nicole called. A pang of jealousy hit Lorelai, she often felt that way whenever Nicole's name came up.

She felt guilty, though, for taking slight pleasure in the fact that Luke had talked about her on his first date with Nicole. She didn't want Luke to struggle in his relationship, she didn't want that at all. She just didn't want anyone else to have him.

She is torn away from her thoughts when Luke speaks again, "I'd offer a movie to watch, but God knows I don't own a single one."

"That's okay. I should probably get to sleep anyway. I have to be up really early tomorrow."

Luke remembers he hasn't turned the alarm clock on yet, and reaches over to it, "What time do you need to be up?"

She groans, "six"

"No problem, I get up at quarter to five every morning."

She looks at him as if he is crazy, "_Why_?"

"I don't know, to run my business?" he speaks matter-of-factly.

"Well, change businesses." Lorelai's eyes suddenly widen, "Oh, wow, total déjà vu."

He turns to face her, "Really?"

She nods, "It's the alarm clock. I had a dream once that you set _eighteen_ alarm clocks to get me up, which is not a bad way to get me up."

"Where were we?"

"We were, um, at my house." she sits up straight, preparing to tell the story, Luke smiles at that, "I got up, I went downstairs for coffee," she lightly laughs, "and you talked to my stomach."

He narrows his eyes, "Why on earth would I do that?"

"Well, because I was pregnant." he raises an eyebrow as Lorelai finishes, "Twins."

"Mine?"

"What am I, dream tramp? Of course yours."

"We were married?"

"Um, yeah. Did I not mention that?"

"No." he smiles and then looks down before lifting his head back up, "You know, you shouldn't drink coffee when you're pregnant."

"Uh, true."

"It's probably why Rory's a caffeine addict."

"Right, you're right."

"Dream go beyond that?"

"No. Um, you talked to my stomach and then you ki-" she suddenly stops herself and shakes her head, "uh, well, no."

He nods and adverts his gaze, smiling to himself. They remain silent for a while, Lorelai remembering her dream, and Luke trying to picture it. He looks down shyly and then admits, "I had a dream about you too, once."

A smile creeps on her face, "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Was I famous?"

"You were shoveling snow."

"With Richard Gere?"

He ignores this and furrows his eyebrows as he tries to remember the dream, "You weren't... really you, though. You were young."

"Compared to my days playing bingo with Mrs. Slutsky? Gee, thanks."

"You know what I mean."

She smiles and leans her right shoulder against the back of the couch, as she turns the rest of her body to face him, "How old was I?" she doesn't take notice in the fact that their bodies are only a few inches apart.

"I don't know... you were just... a little girl shoveling snow." Lorelai smiles softly, listening to him speak, "And... I was the snow... and you would scoop me up and... no matter where I landed you just kept scooping me and throwing me over you're shoulder..."

She is out of her body for a moment, as she admires the way he speaks with a sort of adoration. She doesn't realize who the adoration is meant for.

"And then..." he pauses for a moment, being drawn back into the dream, "and then you look up at the sky, and the snowflakes are falling on you... and you shine this full-fledged smile, like you couldn't be happier... like you couldn't be more content."

She feels her heart melt at the way a smile plays at his lips. She scans his profile, as he stares blankly ahead of him. She then looks down, and runs her fingers over the blanket's smooth edge. She speaks so softly, she can barely hear herself, "I don't think I could be." she slowly looks up to see that he's turned his head to face her. She immediately looks down again, softly biting her lip out of embarrassment.

His next words leave his lips in a whisper, "Neither could I."

She lifts her head to find that he's moved closer to her. So close, that she can feel his light breath playing at her lips. Her breath hitches, and her eyes flutter shut as he jaggedly whispers her name in a desperate need to feel her. She leans closer, and presses her lips against his, every form of reality having no place in her mind.

She brings her hand to the nape of his neck, as he draws her closer into him, sweeping his hand to her back. The kiss quickly becomes heated as she inhales deeply and pushes her chest up against his.

She captures his bottom lip, and gently sucks it into her mouth, trying to convince herself that this is real. He slips his hand underneath the hem of her shirt, and his fingers softly caress her back, causing her skin to tingle.

The faint sound of a door shutting downstairs can be heard, they pull apart.

He speaks, out of breath, "That's Jess."

She looks up at him, her chest rising and falling as she tries to regulate her breath. She brushes away the few strands of hair that stick to her forehead, and nods. She hesitates before getting up off of the couch, never tearing her eyes away from him. He stares back, revealing the same out-of-body gaze.

Jess enters the room and switches the light off, oblivious to his surroundings. He plops onto his bed, providing the only evidence of presence in the room.

Her eyes remain open as she lay on her back, staring blankly into the darkness, knowing he is doing the same.

She will go to sleep tonight, and dream of him. The truth of their reality and circumstance, having no place in her mind.

* * *

TBC

So, the idea kind of just came to me and I wanted to get it out to you guys. It _will _be updated at a later date, but right now I'm still working on my other story. Please leave a review :) Happy Almost-New Year!


	2. A Junior Suite in Hell

Title: Reality Has No Place

Chapter 2: A Junior Suite in Hell

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or the characters or _anything_.

* * *

She begins to stir awake at the feel of him gently shaking her shoulder and the sound of him calling her name. She groggily moans in protest, and hears him sigh in frustration, yet she refuses to get up. It isn't until the strong aroma of coffee travels inside of her, that she peeks a sleepy eye open, feeling his body press into the mattress as he takes a seat on the bed's edge. 

His face is the first thing she see's through her slitted eyes. She smiles weakly, and hesitantly sits up, leaning her head against the headboard and trying to adjust to the bright lighting. He stretches the warm coffee mug out in front of her, and watches as her lips touch the edge, sipping the hot liquid.

She looks up at him just as he tears his eyes away.

She speaks softly, "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

She stares down at her coffee as she brings it to her lap. He isn't speaking, and she has nowhere near the ability to strike a normal conversation. Her eyes travel up towards his, and then to her coffee, and then back to him before she breaks the silence, "So, um, I should probably head home, you know? Get ready."

He nods his head, thankful that the awkward moment is beginning to pass, "Yeah, right."

He gets up off the bed and shoves his hands deep in his pockets, as she too, gets up. She pulls her sweat jacket closer to her, gathers her few belongings in her arms, and then makes her way to the door. She turns around quickly, too quickly, and looks straight at him, "Luke?"

He lifts his head, giving her his full attention, "Yeah?" he is depending on her to say the right thing, give him some comfort.

"I, um, thanks again - for letting me stay here last night."

"Uh - yeah, yeah it was no problem." he knows she wants to say more. Hell, he wants to say more. He wants to say _something_.

"So, I'll see you in a couple of hours then?"

"Right. See you in a couple of hours."

She nods and continues to look at him, this time wading in on the foolishness and embarrassment. She finally somewhat grasps control over herself, and turns on her heels, this time making her way to and out the door.

- - -

Rory places two coffees on the table and takes a seat across from her mother, "Luke and Sookie have worked things out."

Lorelai doesn't respond, just stares blankly ahead of her, chin resting in hand.

Rory eyes her strangely, "Mom?"

"Huh? What?"

She points behind her, "Luke and Sookie."

She looks over Rory's shoulder to see them cooking breakfast together, in a civilized manner. "Oh, yeah. Look at that. There does seem to be a grudging respect thing going on." she looks away as soon as Luke catches her gaze.

Rory furrows her eyebrows in confusion to her mother's behavior, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

"You sure?"

She shrugs her shoulders casually, "Yeah." she nods her head in the other direction, "Here comes Boyfriend."

Rory turns to see Jess walking over to their table, "Hey."

Lorelai nods, "Good morning."

He and Rory share a quick peck on the lips before he heads out the door. She takes notice in the fact that he's leaving pretty early for school.

Lorelai leans closer to her, "Your boyfriend snores."

"Didn't need to know that."

Lorelai smirks and then looks down at her purse as her cell phone begins to ring. She quickly answers it, "Hello... it is?... oh, I love you, I love you... thanks."

She hangs up the phone and stands, announcing, "Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please?"

The inn residents raise their heads as Lorelai continues, "That was just Chief Baker on the phone who told me in that deep sexy voice of his that the inn is officially reopened. Uh, right now it's just me and the staffers, but soon, very soon, you will have your stuff back and you can go home." she turns to face the counter, "Coming Sookie?"

"I'm coming. Okay, Luke, you need to caramelize the hazelnuts for the brioche French toast, add some Madeira to the pear-poaching liquid and add some chives to the cream for the sheared eggs."

All of her words go unheard by Luke, as he is too busy staring in Lorelai's direction. He mutters to Sookie, "Don't burn anything, got it."

She gives him a nervous look, "Right."

* * *

After getting over the initial shock of the inn's damages, Lorelai was able to move onto her next world-coming-to-an-end dilemma, which was of course, the phone call she received from Luke. Between the mumbles and stutters she was able to conclude that his message said something along the lines of, "I can come by tomorrow to fix things around the house - for your birthday present." 

It's funny. She was able to keep composure when she learned that her inn wouldn't be repaired for a matter of months, but a simple phone call from Luke was on the verge of causing cardiac arrest.

She still hadn't spoken to him about - _it_. Only a day had passed since _it_ happened, but the unresolved and the unspoken and every other _un_-thing they had done, was driving her into a full cyclone of chaos.

Yale was decided. That was good. At least she had some comfort in the fact that her daughter wouldn't be living in the house until she was thirty because of their inability to finish a pro/con list.

So while her mind buzzes in a million different directions, Lorelai tries her best to act normal as her and Rory make a list of what needs to be fixed around the house, "Stairs squeak."

"Stairs squeak." Rory repeats as she jots it down on a piece of paper.

"There's a chip on the banister."

"Chip on the banister."

"The paint's chipped in the archway, and there's a board loose in the entryway. Ooh, and the chimney needs to be swept."

Rory stops in her tracks, "Mom."

"What?"

"Luke cannot sweep our chimney."

"Why not?"

"Because you need to be a chimney sweep to sweep a chimney."

"Please. If Dick van Dyke can do it, so can Luke."

"Luke is going to be very sorry he ever made this offer to you."

"Hey, Luke has given me five free hours of handyman work for my birthday for the last five years."

"And you have grossly exploited that gift every year for the past four years."

"Well, I need to make up for that first year where I didn't milk it like I should've."

"The spirit of giving is completely lost on you."

"But the spirit of getting is alive and well and it wants its chimney swept. Ooh, put down laundry, too."

"Fine, then can he also build me another bookshelf?"

"I've never been prouder of you than I am right at this moment."

Rory smiles and plops onto the couch as she revises her list. Her eyes glance up at her mother - it seems like she's been doing a lot of that during the past few days. Checking, analyzing, discovering - hoping. She hopes that all of the pressure won't get to her. Between Luke and the inn, it seems enough to drive anyone insane.

She watches as her mom's eyes travel around the room, a saddened expression on her face. "You know, Mom, you don't have to wait until tomorrow to talk to him. Maybe it's best to just get it over with, so you don't stress yourself out. I mean, once you tell him how you feel everything will be oka-"

"Rory, I don't even _know _what I feel."

"Of course you do. We went over this last night, remember? You want to marry him and have his kids. All seven of them. And you are going to name them after the seven dwarfs - a.k.a - the seven side-effects of smoking cocaine."

"Are we sure that's true?"

"Paris says it's true."

"Well, we shouldn't believe anything Paris says. She totally ruined _Aladdin _for me... making up that perverted subtext to the lyrics of "A Whole New World."

"Okay - let's not get off track."

Lorelai sighs as she throws her arms in the air, "He just - He just let me walk out of his apartment - he didn't say anything! I mean, did I just imagine the whole thing? Do I need to see a doctor?"

"Well, it depends, what do Charles and Marcee have to say about it?"

"Rory, this is serious."

"Yeah, I know it's serious, Mom. Which is why I don't understand why you're _here_ instead of at the diner trying to sort things out with Luke."

Lorelai sighs, feeling defeated. She shuffles her feet as she looks down at the ground, her arms crossing over her chest, "He's with Nicole." there's no disguising the hurt in her voice.

"Oh..." Rory sinks into the couch as reality hits her, "Right... how did I forget that?"

She remains silent for a moment, before she lifts her head, "Well, you know, Mom, it's not like they're serious or anything. He even said they were just dating."

"I know, but, that was a long time ago... The other night they were talking on the phone... making plans... sounds pretty serious to me."

"Mom, Nicole isn't even his type."

"Three words: Skinny. Smart. Blonde."

"Bitchy. Lawyer. Blonde."

She smiles, "Good point."

"Trust me, Luke didn't kiss you for nothing. And while you may have upgraded your junior suite in hell for destroying a potential-sucky relationship, at least you got the guy."

"Nice guilt-trip."

She shrugs her shoulders, "Nicole should have been nicer to you."

"You belong in a Mark Wahlberg movie."

"That's the word on the street."

* * *

TBC 

If you're a fan of It's Crazy, It's Irrational, But It's There: the sequel will be posted after this story is finished.


	3. Sleepless In Connecticut

Title: Reality Has No Place 

Chapter 3: Sleepless In Connecticut

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or the characters or _anything_.

* * *

The snowflakes blur his vision as they tumble through the air and hit the ground, only to be scooped up and thrown over again. He watches her smile as she stares at the sky and slowly transforms from a young girl to a beautiful woman, same red shovel, same black coat, same sparkling blue eyes.

She scoops him up and throws him over her shoulder, and scoops him up and throws him and scoops and throws and suddenly he collides into her lips, and he can feel his own hands tracing her figure as the winter air burns his skin. A soft groan emerges from deep within his throat as her tongue slips between his parted lips and begins dancing with his own. His hands tangle in her wild curls and her long lashes tickle his cheeks as she presses up on her toes for better access to his lips.

The snow falls heavier, she smiles against his kiss, she draws her body closer into him. And then he wakes up.

He feels her warm breath against his neck, and for a second, he thinks it is Lorelai's arm that is sprung across his bare chest. Until he see's her blonde hair, and realizes the reality of his circumstance.

He slowly and cautiously slips out from underneath her body, and slips his boxers on as he makes his way to the sink. He pours himself a glass of water and wills the pounding pain in his head to disappear. He looks out the window and squints his eyes when he see's, what looks like, a naked Kirk running in the distance.

Now I've really gone crazy, he thinks.

His breath becomes more irregular as his stomach begins to turn. He takes a large gulp of water and squeezes his eyes shut, trying to ignore the frantic yelling that echoes from down the street, _"Help! Assassins... they're after me!"_

He waits for the sickening feeling to wear off, and he takes a shower.

He is starting his day three hours early, out of his inability to sleep soundly - because of her.

- - -

Lorelai crawls on her hands and knees beneath the kitchen table, searching for the mallomar she dropped. She spots it, and just before she picks it up, she hears a loud knock at the door. She cries out in pain as a direct result from hitting her head against the table, "Ow - Ow - Okay... that hurt."

She hears a second knock and immediately gets up, walking in the direction of the foyer, her hand rubbing the sore spot on her head. She takes a quick look in the mirror, and then she hears a third knock, and a fourth and a fifth, "Hey, Luke."

She opens the door wider, and tries her best to appear like she didn't just bang her head against furnished wood. He stands there awkwardly, slightly squinting his eyes, "You okay?"

"Me? Chyea... I'm fine. Totally fine."

"You look like an anvil just fell on your head."

"Gee, thanks, do I look like Daffy Duck too?"

"Yeah, there's a little bit of a resemblance."

She scowls and slaps him in the chest, "Shut up."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"You should be." she tries to be mad at him, but seeing him smile makes it difficult.

"What'd you do?" he says, referring to her life-threatening injury.

"Nothing. It's fine... forget it. "

He slowly nods his head, "Okay."

They exchange uncomfortable glances before Luke points to the stairs and makes his way in that direction, "I should get started."

"Uh, yeah, right."

They find themselves doing a silly dance when each tries to go the other way. He finally gently grasps her shoulders, holding her still why he walks around her, "Yeah."

She lets out a nervous laugh, and mentally kicks herself for acting like an immature teenager. She quickly hands him the list before he walks all the way up the stairs, "Here 'ya go."

"Oh, right... that'd probably be a big help." he stares down at the list, "stairs, gutters, da-duh-da-duh-da, electrical outlet. Which one?"

"In the bathroom."

"By the sink or by the bathtub?"

"Bathtub."

"Okay. So, I can do most of this list today, but, uh, I can't put up the towel rack until later. I didn't bring my drill." she can't bring herself to hold in a giggle.

He looks up and smiles at her, seeming to have a hard time keeping from laughing as well, "Dirty, go ahead and say it."

She says in between smiles, "It's okay, I'll hold it in... So, um, I'll be here tomorrow afternoon if you wanna come by then."

She notices an immediate change in his expression, "I can't tomorrow, I'm... having lunch with Nicole's parents."

She can almost feel the breath being sucked out of her lungs, only managing a barely-audible, "Oh."

"They're... coming into town."

She straightens her posture and steadies her voice, "Okay."

"So, Nicole thought I should meet them."

"Makes sense."

"Yeah, well, you know, we've been seeing each other... fairly regular now, so... makes sense."

"Yeah... I think it's great."

"Yeah... it's... great." he glances around the room, "I'm gonna head upstairs." he hesitates before nodding, and then turns in the opposite direction.

"Okay." she rubs her hand across her forehead, squinting her eyes shut.

He does a double-take and looks back at her, "I just want to tell you..."

She lifts her head with the slightest bit of hope.

"You were right about Jess."

She furrows her eyebrows, "What about Jess?"

"He's not going to school."

Her eyes widen, "Oh - Are you sure?"

"Yup. I watched him head right toward the school and when he thought no one was watching him, he got in his car and drove off. So I got in my truck and followed him."

"Where?"

"To Wal-Mart."

"Oh."

"He's been lying to me this whole time."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna tell him that I know what he's been doing, remind him that we had an agreement, that he's supposed to go to school, that he's supposed to graduate from school, and then..." he sighs in defeat, "I'm gonna tell him I know what he's been doing."

"I'm sorry, Luke."

"Yeah, well... I'm gonna be upstairs."

"Okay. Call if you need anything."

- - -

Lorelai sits on the steps of her porch with her knees drawn up to her chest. She holds the phone to her ear as she reveals to Rory, "I hate this."

"I'm sorry, Mom."

"He's meeting her parents! How could he... meet her parents..."

Luke raises his head at this exclamation, rising to his feet and walking towards the open bathroom window.

Rory remains silent on the other line, feeling helpless.

Lorelai sighs, "I don't know... I just feel so pathetic. I mean, I knew I liked Luke... but not like this. Why did I have to kiss him?"

"It seems like you both did your share of participating, Mom."

"Everything's so awkward, I don't know how to act around him. He's not bringing it up, so I'm not bringing it up, and we both know that neither of us wants to bring it up..."

"I don't know what to say, Mom. You should talk to him. Just _talk _to him."

"How _can _I? He's getting ready to meet the mother and father of Miss America. You know, I bet they're just as _perfect_ and _sophisticated_ as her, 'We go to the Vineyard every spring Lucas, you should join us, it would be lovely...' clones of Emily and Richard!"

"You and Nicole aren't so different after all." Rory quips.

Luke steps back from the window, staring blankly ahead of him.

"Who _wouldn't _fall for her? She's like a friggin Stepford Wife. Probably waits on him hand and foot. I'm just the obsessive compulsive coffee drinker who teases him about everything going on his life..." she pauses, resting her head in her hands, "I should probably get off my soap box, huh?"

"No, get back on it. You have every right to be upset."

"I do?"

"Yes. And when I think of a legitimate reason, I will let you know."

"I'm being stupid, it was just a kiss. It just... happened." she sighs, "I need to watch a Tom and Meg movie."

"They always make me feel better."

"Yeah, me too. In all their corny glory."

"Alright, well, I gotta go. I'll call you later, okay?"

"You're so good to Mommy."

"Don't - I - know - it. Okay, bye."

She smiles, "Bye, Hon."

* * *

TBC 


	4. Desire, Despair, Desire

Title: Reality Has No Place 

Chapter 4: Desire, Despair, Desire

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or the characters or _anything_.

Author's Note: I edited the last chapter a little. Nothing major has changed, it just flows a bit nicer.

* * *

"'Rock A Bye Baby' is the most depressing lullaby ever written. I mean, what _sane_ person writes a song about sticking your baby in a tree and letting the wind crash the cradle to the ground? And why are red buttons _always _the most important? Why can't they be blue or pink - throw a little suspense in there! And why-"

"Okay - Mom - you've made your point, life is full of mysteries. Now go sit on the couch."

"The greatest mystery of all, is what you have gotten me for my birthday." Lorelai prances into the house with a look of excitement spread across her face, while Rory follows close behind her, and then heads over to the hallway closet. Lorelai's eyes widen as she spots Rory pulling down a wrapped gift from the top shelf. She walks over to her mother, "Okay, _remember_, it's just a small gift to hold you over until your _actual _birthday."

"Just give it to me, already." Lorelai greedily reaches her arms out for the present, but Rory pulls away.

"Don't get too excited."

She reveals a more serious look, "I'm totally not, not excited."

"Alright, just take it." she takes a seat next to her mother and hands her the gift. Lorelai tears the wrapping paper off without a moment's hesitation, and then puts her hands to her heart, "I've _always_ wanted a cardboard box. _Thank you,_ Honey."

Rory rolls her eyes, "Open the box."

"You mean there's more?"

"There's more."

Lorelai lifts the lid off the box, and her lips immediately break into a smile at the sight of a pile of new CDs. Rory smiles as her mother goes through each one, and she states proudly, "They are the greatest hits of famous artists _in _alphabetical order, letters_ A-__T_."

She browses through the CDs, "Annie Lennox, Billy Joel, Carly Simon... Elton, Frank... Johnny... geez, you went all out."

"You like it?"

She pulls her closer and gives her a big hug, "I love it."

"Good."

"Let's pop one of these babies in." Lorelai walks over to the CD player, but stops when she nears the stairs. She turns to face Rory, speaking quietly, "What the hell was that?"

"What?"

"Shh!"

Rory lowers her voice, "What is it?"

Lorelai stays silent, listening carefully, and soon Rory too, can hear footsteps in the distance.

A voice calls from upstairs, "Lorelai?"

She panics in a loud whisper, "It knows my name! It knows my name!"

Rory furrows her eyebrows, "Wait... Mom..."

The voice calls again, "Lorelai, I'm up here!"

"Is that..."

Rory finishes her sentence, "Is that Luke?"

Lorelai hesitates and then yells up to him, "Luke?!"

"Yeah?!"

She gasps, "Get your ass down here!"

They hear a few bumps and bangs, and then they see Luke appear at the top of the stairs, "Hey, Lorelai, Rory."

"Hey, Luke."

Lorelai looks at him, searching his face, "What are you doing here?"

He casually points up the stairs, "Fixing the hinges on your door."

She looks over at Rory, noticing the smile spread across her face. Lorelai seems to be the only one who thinks this situation is the least bit awkward, "I thought you were busy today?"

He shrugs his shoulders and walks further down the stairs, "Change of plans."

She opens her mouth to speak, but Luke cuts her off, pointing to the CD in her hand, "Who's that?"

She rolls her eyes, catching on that he's just trying to avoid the conversation. She mutters, "Annie Lennox." He's clearly drawing a blank. She goes on, annoyed, "_Annie Lennox_, Luke. 'Walking On Broken Glass'... 'Who's That Girl'..."

He shakes his head, "Never heard of her." Lorelai looks at him in disbelief. He looks at her defensively, "What?"

She sighs and waves her hand, dismissing the question, "Nevermind-"

"Mom, I'll be back later, okay?"

She then whips around to see Rory slipping into her jacket, "What? No. Where are you going?"

She smiles devilishly, "You know I can't tell you. It's birthday week, use your imagination." Rory makes her way out the door, giving Lorelai no time to question her further.

She immediately turns back to Luke, nervous about being left alone with him. She isn't dressed right, she's completely unprepared, and she's definitely not capable of acting normal around him. She pulls at her t-shirt and tries to fix her hair, but it seems like every slightest movement she makes, only draws more attention to herself. She squeezes her eyes shut out of frustration, and repeats herself, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to finish _today_ what I didn't finish _yesterday_. Geez, I thought you'd be a little more appreciative."

She ignores the last of his statement, "You're supposed to be having lunch with Nicole and her parents."

"Look, if you don't want me here..."

"No, I want you here. I'm just confused."

He exhales deeply and then lets out a large breath, "Yeah... something came up... so I decided to come here today. Alright?"

He starts up the stairs before she can answer him. "Wait... Luke..."

She sighs, and then hesitates before following him up the stairs. She meets him at her bedroom door, and watches him as he gets on his knees and starts to unscrew the bottom hinge. She leans against the wall and crosses her arms over her chest, "Luke, what changed your mind?"

He narrows his eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about _you _backing out on your plans today."

His voice is becoming aggitated, "I came here to help you out, okay? Not to be interrogated."

She only pushes further, "There's a reason why you're here and I want to _know_ the reason." She immediately straightens her posture as Luke suddenly rises and walks towards her, now only a few inches away. He just stares at her, searching her eyes, before the words tumble out of his mouth, "You. You're the reason."

She points to herself, "_I'm_ the-"

He tosses the screwdriver on the floor, "All that talk about... trips to the Vineyard... Stepford Wives..."

"Stepford-" her eyes widen as she realizes that he's talking about her phone call, "How did yo-"

He walks closer to her, so close, she wants to slap him and tell him to back off. But then his face turns serious, and his voice soft, "Tell me you don't want to be with me." He's looking straight into her eyes, for a moment she wonders if there's any possible way he could be reading her mind right now.

Her chest begins to rise and fall noticeably with each jagged breath, and each step he takes, "I - I can't tell you that." Her eyes watch as he brings his hands to her shoulders, and softly slides them down her arms. He dips his head, resting his forehead against hers as her eyes immediately flutter shut.

She slowly lifts her head, leaving her lips only centimeters away from his. He draws her closer into him, softly gripping her waist, and then he catches her off guard, colliding his lips into hers.

She stumbles back, but is quick to regain her balance as she links her arms around his neck in one motion. She presses her chest against his, and slips her tongue between his parted lips, moaning at the satisfaction of his tongue skimming over hers.

He backs her up against the wall, as she rises on her toes for better access to his lips, her lashes tickling his cheeks. Only this time, he isn't dreaming, this is reality.

* * *


End file.
